Electric-Power Assist Steering (E-PAS) is introduced in the Fiesta for the first time. E-PAS provides the right balance of low-speed assistance and excellent feel and responsiveness.
E-PAS has another key benefit. It is another key facet of new Fiesta's initiatives to reduce fuel consumption.
The electric power steering pump only operates when steering-effort assistance is required, unlike traditional hydraulic PAS pumps that operate constantly when the engine is running. This brings a fuel consumption reduction.
Efficient Powertrain Choices
* Total of five powertrain choices at launch from efficient 68 PS Duratorq TDCi diesel to new Duratec 1.6-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine which delivers 115 PS
* Fiesta ECOnetic ultra-low CO2 model will deliver less than 100g/km emissions
With a broad array of powertrain choices, the new Fiesta is a responsive, yet efficient, performer.
New to the Fiesta range for European markets is the popular Ford Duratec 1.6-litre Ti-VCT engine. The 115 PS engine with variable intake cam timing, provides a well-balanced blend of performance and economy. It brings a 15 PS performance improvement over the outgoing Fiesta without a fuel consumption penalty.
The Fiesta range also retains:
* 1.25-litre (60 and 80 PS) and 1.4-litre (91 PS) Duratec petrol engines
* Both Duratorq TDCi common-rail diesel engines, the 1.4-litre (68 PS) and the 1.6-litre (90 PS - available with Diesel Particulate Filter) which have been enhanced with revised injection technology and electronic control sophistication.
Fiesta will be offered with Ford Durashift 5-speed manual transmission or the Durashift
4-speed automatic transmission (available with 1.4-litre (91 PS) Duratec engine).
Concept becomes Reality
* Production Fiesta is clearly related to Verve Concept
* Futuristic interior from Concept makes production with integrated HMI centre stack
* New technology highlights include keyless vehicle technology, 'Ford Power' engine start button, Ford Easyfuel capless refuelling, USB connectivity and ambient interior lighting
The new Ford Fiesta brings the radical Verve Concept exterior and interior styling to production reality and incorporates features and technologies normally found in larger, more expensive vehicles. It rejects the notion that an affordable small car has to be basic or boring.
The highlight of the Verve Concept interior - the futuristic, mobile phone-inspired, human-machine interface technology of the instrument panel centre stack - will be a core feature of the new Ford Fiesta when it hits the road.
Gone is the flat, upright centre stack of the instrument panel, a feature typical of many small cars driven by the need to package a large radio head unit behind the fascia panel. New technology allows Fiesta to separate the key elements of audio system - the control buttons, display and underlying electronics - in a distributed architecture that gives designers more freedom to create aesthetically pleasing, functional shapes.
Many customers of the new-generation Ford Fiesta were raised with mobile phones and they will be instantly comfortable with the design of the car's Ford Convers+ system, which follows the centre stack contours to frame a large-screen display and control panel with key buttons for audio, in-car phone and vehicle settings.
Convenient toggle switches incorporated into the steering wheel allow the driver to control the system's key functions easily and intuitively.
The Ford Convers+ feature - already available on the Ford Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models - represents a major step forward for the small car buyer. It is just one of several new features and technologies in the new Fiesta, including keyless vehicle technology symbolised by the distinctive 'Ford Power' button on the instrument panel.
The advanced technology of Convers+ will not be offered solely on high-spec vehicles. Ford expects more than 85 per cent of Fiesta orders to feature one of two available multi-function displays.
Another Verve Concept feature - the lozenge shaped array of large twist dials for the heating and ventilation systems at the midpoint of the centre stack - is retained in the production Fiesta design. This feature was inspired by the design of contemporary power showers.
Connectivity is another new Fiesta strength. The new centre console features a convenient tray for MP3 players complete with built-in jack sockets for an auxiliary (AUX) audio cable and a USB, along with the traditional 12 Volt outlet. This allows the car's audio system to control and charge the MP3 player.
Bluetooth connectivity with Voice Control is also offered in the new Fiesta, along with more big-car technologies, including:
* Ford Easyfuel, the convenient capless refuelling system recently introduced with the Ford Mondeo designed to prevent accidental misfuelling
* Reach and rake steering wheel adjustment
* New ambient lighting features that provide a softly elegant red glow to discreetly highlight the interior of the vehicle
* 'One shot' up and down driver window with anti-trap technology
Bold, Dynamic, Sculpted
The bold colours, dynamic shapes and sculpted surfaces of the new Ford Fiesta indicate how deeply the spirit of the Verve Concept has been carried into production as the latest model of Ford's 'kinetic design' family.
Exciting and vibrant new production colours include 'Squeeze' and 'Hot Magenta', which is a production version of the unique colour developed for the three-door Verve Concept car.
"We were so pleased with the positive reaction to the body colour of the first Verve Concept, that we decided to adopt this colour for inclusion in the range soon after launch," said Burela.
The dynamic, coup-like profile and sporty stance of the new Fiesta demonstrates that none of the emotional appeal of the concept cars has been lost.
"All the vital elements of 'kinetic design' combine to create a visually rich, dynamic exterior shape that is very close indeed to the original concept car," said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's Executive Director for Design. "Full surfaces, bold graphics and dynamic lines combine coherently and harmoniously to create a dynamic spirit of fun and energy in motion."
With a feeling of toned muscularity, the new Fiesta asserts an air of confidence, stylishness and individuality. Its aggressively contoured bonnet and front wings convey a broad-shouldered stance, and its face features a distinctive signature element - a bold lower trapezoidal grille that draws attention and reinforces the key Ford attribute of sporty driving dynamics.
Chrome and brightwork are used selectively, like jewellery accents, to convey elegance and sophistication.
Large and full of character directly from the Verve concepts, Fiesta's bold headlamps become part of the shoulder shape and extend aggressively rearward almost as far as the stylishly raked A-pillars. The headlamp units incorporate all primary front lighting and signal functions - complemented on the lower bumper flanks by round, chrome-ringed fog lamps.
New Fiesta's profile emphasises its new, cab-forward shape and an attitude of poised, sporty style. The sweeping roofline extends appealingly from the forward-stretching A-pillar rearward, framing the bold graphic of the Fiesta side window profile to create the sporty feeling of a coup for both three-door and yet-to-be-revealed five-door bodystyles.
"The Design team put as much importance on the shape of the five-door as the three-door," said Stefan Lamm, Chief Designer Exterior, Ford of Europe. "Both cars are based on the same body, which makes them sporty and dynamic, almost coup-like."
The Fiesta side windows combine to create a unified profile window graphic - a key 'kinetic design' element that communicates dynamism. An elegant accent of chrome frames the lower edge of the side glass and accentuates the signature Ford "kick-up" at its rear.
The new Fiesta also features the signature bold wheel arches that communicate the vehicle's stance and dynamic capabilities, giving visual emphasis to new 17-inch alloy wheels.
Dynamic, 'kinetic design' lines arc from side to side, uniting the upper corners of the tail lamps with the distinctive spoiler, which incorporates a slim LED stop lamp array. The sculpture of the body shapes is accented by elements like the new tail lamp - another Verve element that feels like it is an integral part of the body - and the V-shaped tailgate's chamfered rear glass.
"I've been saying just wait for the new Fiesta to see how kinetic design can be translated into a small car," said Martin Smith, Executive Director of Design for Ford of Europe. "But now the wait is over. New Fiesta evokes an instant emotional response that says 'I want one' which extends the traditionally practical values of the Fiesta brand to appeal to a new, style-conscious generation of small car buyers."
Full technical details of the new Fiesta range will be released closer to the launch of the production model in autumn 2008.
Ford CONFIRMS FIESTA AS GLOBAL NAME FOR SMALL CAR
COLOGNE, Germany, Feb. 14, 2008 - Ford's new small car family will use the Fiesta name around the world, the company confirmed today.
Designed and developed in Europe for customers in Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Americas between 2008 and 2010, the new Fiesta is the first major product of Ford's new global product development process. This new small car keeps alive a name synonymous with more than 30 years of success and strong driving dynamics in Europe and is already well known in markets across Asia, Australia and South America. The Fiesta also was offered in the U.S. from 1978 to 1980.
"The new Ford Fiesta captures every aspect of what's defined Ford as a small-car leader in Europe and builds on it in terms of driving dynamics and design," said Mark Fields, president of the Americas, Ford Motor Company. "When it arrives in North America in 2010, the Ford Fiesta will set a new standard in the small car segment. Even before it arrives in this market, though, the new Fiesta demonstrates how leveraging our global strengths can yield attractive benefits for customers around the world."
The dynamic new look for this global family of small cars was previewed in three Ford Verve Concept vehicles which made their debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007, the Guangzhou Motor Show in November 2007 and the North American International Auto Show in January 2008.
In Europe, the new Fiesta will debut first in production guise at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March and will go on sale in fall 2008 in three- and five-door hatchback body styles. By 2010, the new Fiesta will be on sale in markets across Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and North America in a variety of regionally tailored models derived from a common platform.
"With the all-new Fiesta, we want to create a world standard for small car quality, design and comfort in a vehicle that is as exciting to drive as it is to look at. We believe this all-new model will attract a whole new generation of small car buyers, whether they are in Britain, Spain, China or California," said Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company President and CEO. "The new Ford Fiesta will set the standard for delivering to our customers products they really want and value while taking advantage of our wonderful global resources."
The new Ford Fiesta brings the dynamic Verve Concept exterior and interior styling to production reality, demonstrating that small cars can be stylish, sophisticated and emotional. It rejects the notion that an affordable small car has to be a commodity.
The new Ford Fiesta also makes major strides in small car craftsmanship, quality of materials and product choice while continuing to represent traditional strengths of practicality, value for money, agility and safety. It also brings a host of big-car features to the small-car segment for the first time.
"The new Ford Fiesta is an example of how good a small car can be," said Jim Farley, Ford's group vice president, Marketing and Communications. "The Fiesta is great to look at, great to drive and it has quality you can see, feel and touch. It's going to be an important growth product for North America."
A key Ford Fiesta strength throughout its life has been its acclaimed driving quality, and the new model intends to uphold this reputation. Ford's dynamics engineers also worked hard to enhance Fiesta's ride comfort and isolate road, wind and powertrain noise from the cabin, and to give the new model an impressively quiet driving quality for a small car.
Fiesta for a New Generation
The all-new Fiesta opens another chapter in the story of the popular Ford small car that has sold more than 12 million units since its introduction in 1976 and represented real change when it came on the automotive scene. While it has moved with the times and fashions over the years, it has remained steadfast in its dedication to providing economical, practical and dependable transportation for people of all ages.
Starting in the early 1970s, the Fiesta project became a personal mission of Ford's Chairman, Henry Ford II. A passionate believer in small cars, Ford rallied his company to the mission of creating a new model. He personally was involved in every step of the long process that led to the grand opening of the new automotive assembly plant in Almusafes, Valencia, with the attendance of the newly crowned King of Spain, Juan Carlos.
With the global fuel crisis as extra incentive, at the end of 1973, the Ford Board of Directors gave Project Bobcat, as it was originally known, the go-ahead for development and production. Fiesta didn't get its name until 1974, when Ford whittled down a list of 50 potential names to just five. The final choice went to Henry Ford II, and his preference for Fiesta was entirely appropriate given the creation of the new manufacturing plant in Spain.
In Europe, the new Fiesta will be built at Ford's Valencia manufacturing facility in Spain beginning in early 2009 alongside the Cologne manufacturing plant, which starts production in fall 2008.
A production announcement for the Ford Fiesta in Asia will be announced in April at the Beijing Motor Show. A North America announcement will come at a later date.
Verve Sedan Concept Specifications
Overall length 145.35 in.
Wheelbase 97.99 in.
Overall width 65.12 in.
Overall height at curb 54.33 in.
Track width
Front 58.03 in.
Rear 57.32 in.
Front Overhang 32.05 in.
Rear Overhang 57.32
Headroom
Front 37.8 in.
Second Row 35.83 in.
Legroom
Front 42.09 in.
Second Row 32.76 in.
Powertrain
Fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engine
[Source: Ford]
